Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com did an excellent job at taking Cornwell’s words and giving a brief summary of the attorney’s statement.

As Cornwell explains it, the league and the union will negotiate to impasse in March 2011, and the league then will invoke a provision of federal labor law that allows the owners to impose new rules relating to wages and other terms of employment. Under federal labor law, the rules must be substantially similar to the last offer made by the league.

The union could then strike. The more likely outcome is that NFLPA would decertify and sue the league for violations of the same antitrust laws at issue in the American Needle case. That’s why the union has been writing editorials for guys like Drew Brees in connection with the American Needle case, and it’s why NFL general counsel Jeff Pash tiptoed around my recent questions regarding whether the league believes it’s a “single entity” for labor purposes.

If Cornwell is correct, NFL fans everywhere will be rejoicing. It just doesn’t seem possible for the most popular sport in America to have a strike. Many cannot even begin to imagine a year without football. Cornwell’s confidence regarding the matter is very refreshing and it brings a hope that many analysts are not giving at the moment.

Let’s all just cross our fingers and hope Cornwell is on to something.

Rumors have been circulating that wide receiver Brandon Marshall will be playing his last game in a Denver Broncos helmet at this evening’s Pro Bowl. The team is expected to trade the disgruntled wide receiver this offseason.

One landing spot that has been speculated for Marshall is the Cleveland Browns. The rumor initially pointed to Browns playmaker Josh Cribbs and draft picks being involved in the deal but new reports link quarterback Brady Quinn to the discussion.

The trade would fill holes for both teams. Denver needs to rid themselves of Marshall, and picking up an explosive weapon like Cribbs would bring a new dynamic to their offense. Brady Quinn is also a solid back up and could possibly challenge Kyle Orton for the starting quarterback job.

Cleveland needs help, well, everywhere. Marshall is one of the most physically gifted wide outs in the sport and he would replace Braylon Edwards — who was traded to the New York Jets mid-season — as the team’s number one option.

Marshall for Quinn is purely speculation at this point.

Other teams that could be considered front-runners to acquire Marshall would include the Redskins, Seahawks, Ravens, Dolphins, and Cowboys.

Wherever Marshall ends up, I hope he gives more effort than this at practice:

It should be interesting to see how the Miami Dolphins staff decides to use Tim Tebow who said he will be playing in the game.

Here is the press release:

Coaching Staffs Named for 2010 Under Armour Senior Bowl

Mobile, AL. (Jan. 8)—The season isn’t over just yet for both the Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions, or at least not for their coaching staffs.  Both staffs have been selected to coach the 2010 Under Armour Senior Bowl, game officials announced today.  The Dolphins will coach the South squad in Mobile later this month, while the Lions will head up the North.

This is the fourth time the Dolphins have coached in the Senior Bowl and first since the 1994 game.  Legendary Dolphins coach Don Shula coached the three previous trips to Mobile, going 2 and 1 overall with wins in the 1987 and 1994 Senior Bowls and a loss in the 1977 contest.

Current Miami coach Tony Sparano will be coaching the Senior Bowl for the first time in his career, but the Dolphins are no strangers to the talent that arrives in Mobile each January.  Miami selected two Senior Bowlers in last year’s NFL Draft, including the 2009 Under Armour Senior Bowl Most Valuable Player—quarterback Pat White.

“My staff and I are looking forward to coaching in the Senior Bowl,” Sparano said.  “The Senior Bowl’s outstanding track record and history of developing players for the National Football League is well-known and we’re excited to have the opportunity to work with these young players in preparation for the next stage of their careers.”

The Dolphins went 7 and 9 in 2009 and own the 12^th pick in April’s draft.  They currently have 14 former Senior Bowlers on their active roster, including four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Joey Porter (1999 Senior Bowl) and quarterbacks Chad Henne (2008 Senior Bowl) and Chad Pennington (2000 Senior Bowl).

This will mark the eighth time the Detroit Lions have coached in the annual senior showcase event.  Former Lions coach Bo McMillan actually coached in the very first Senior Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida in 1950 and returned for the first Senior Bowl in Mobile the following year.  The Lions last trip to the Port City as a staff came in 2003.

Under first-year coach Jim Schwartz, the Lions went 2 and 14 this season and own the second overall pick in April’s draft.  Schwartz, like Sparano, will be coaching his very first Senior Bowl but he too is familiar with the pre-draft event having served on the Baltimore Ravens’ staff when they coached in the 1998 game and more recently as Jeff Fisher’s defensive coordinator when the Tennessee Titans’ staff coached the North squad in 2006.

“I’ve been a part of two staffs that have coached at the Senior Bowl and found both experiences to be exceptional,” Schwartz said.  “The hospitality of the people of Mobile and the hard work of the Senior Bowl staff makes this a special event for everyone involved.”

The Lions currently have 21 former Senior Bowlers on their roster and drafted four Senior Bowlers last year, including tight end Brandon Pettigrew with the 20^th overall pick.

“As one of the coaching staffs for this year’s Senior Bowl, we look forward to working with some of the best college football players in the country and contributing to the game’s tradition,” Schwartz said.

The 2010 Under Armour Senior Bowl is scheduled for January 30^th at 3pm (CT) in Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium.  The game and all practices will be televised by the NFL Network.

Tickets for the 2010 Under Armour Senior Bowl are currently available for purchase at the Senior Bowl ticket offices (151 Dauphin Street and inside Bel Air Mall), select Regions Bank locations, online at www.seniorbowl.com or by calling (251) 432-4109.

The Kansas City Star reported on Thursday that the Chiefs are having a quarterback battle, but it isn’t for the the starting spot. No instead it is for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart. That’s because Brodie Croyle has already been rewarded the starting job by head coach Herm Edwards.

“It’s his team now,” Edwards said. “But he knows that, really to win them over, he’s got to win.”

Nothing against Croyle but I followed his college career at Alabama very closely and never saw him as an NFL quarterback. Even when asking the biggest Crimson Tide fans I know about Croyle’s starting role in Kansas City all I get is remarks like, “Croyle a QB? In the NFL? (laughter)” or “he will never make it.”

I agree completely, and being a Florida Gators fan I don’t often agree with my Crimson Tide brethren.

This time around I do though.

Why? Well every time I drive around my hometown, about 30 minutes from Tuscaloosa, I always see a bumper sticker that says “honk if you sacked Brodie.” That’s because during his senior season, in his final Iron Bowl game, Croyle was sacked seven times against in state rival Auburn. He was completely immobile and actually ran into quite a few sacks.

It’s actually one of the more talked about game’s in the rivalries recent history, and considering Auburn has dominated it the last five years there isn’t a whole lot of things for Crimson Tide fans to discuss that have went well. That leaves Croyle’s final Iron Bowl as the main thing Alabama fans like to complain about constantly.

Croyle has not been impressive in the 11 NFL games he has played in either. As he enters his third season in the league the 25 year old will still have to deal with the fact that he’s thrown more interceptions than touchdowns. For the record that’s six touchdowns, and eight interceptions for Kansas City’s starting quarterback.

I can’t believe I’m using starting quarterback and Brodie Croyle in the same sentence.

I know that young quarterbacks have to get on the field in order for the team to know whether or not they are the longterm answer, but I just don’t know what Kansas City has seen in Croyle to point them in that direction.

I really have nothing against the guy. He’s a great competitor and he seems like a smart kid. He makes good decisions on the field most of the time, but is inaccurate and doesn’t have an overpowering arm.

Throwing to Tony Gonzalez and Dwayne Bowe will certainly help Croyle. Gonzalez is experienced and will run be a great target when the young quarterback finds himself in trouble. Bowe is growing up in a hurry and has developed into one of the better young NFL receivers. Last year the two combined to catch 169 passes for 2,167 yards and 10 touchdowns.

That’s more touchdowns that Croyle has thrown in his entire NFL career, although it has been in limited playing time.

Let me say this Chiefs fans. Croyle was a third-round pick out of Alabama, meaning this isn’t a situation where you have to play the guy because he has already signed a huge rookie contract. Why are they already announcing Croyle their starter? Why not let some guys come in and fight over it? That’s the main thing I don’t understand, but there’s a reason Edwards (who I like a lot) is an NFL coach and why I’m not.

Maybe it will work out for the Chiefs. Maybe Croyle will be amazing and develop into one of the better young NFL quarterbacks over night. I just don’t see it happening.

Edwards says famously that “you play to win the game”, so maybe Kansas City can figure out a way to win “the game” with Brodie Croyle under center. Good luck.

• Buffalo Bills
• Miami Dolphins
• New England Patriots
• New York Jets

AFC NORTH

• Baltimore Ravens
• Cincinnati Bengals
• Cleveland Browns
• Pittsburgh Steelers

AFC SOUTH

• Houston Texans
• Indianapolis Colts
• Jacksonville Jaguars
  
• Tennessee Titans
  

AFC WEST

• Denver Broncos
  
• Kansas City Chiefs
• Oakland Raiders
• San Diego Chargers